Montana Could Legalize Road Kill Consumption

Montana Could Legalize Road Kill Consumption

Montana could allow people to eat their road kill, according to ABC news.

A bill passed Montana’s House of Representatives allows “game animals, fur-bearing animals, migratory game birds and upland game birds” hit by a car to be collected. Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, and Georgia all have similar bills.

State Rep. Steve Lavin introduced the bill.

Lavin said that in his “day job” as a state trooper he sees a ton of animals hit on Montana’s roadways that could potentially be repurposed to provide meat for people in need. State troopers already alert food banks to viable bumper banquets. This bill would simply make the practice legal.

If passed, Lavin said the law would explicitly exclude species such as big horn sheep and bear over concerns there would be profiteering from horns, claws and other body parts collectors covet. He added that it certainly wouldn’t apply to situations like “finding a dead squirrel in the middle of the road” either.

Lavin and food safety specialist Benjamin Chapman gave some practical advice to families using road kill for dinner.

Chapman advised using a meat thermometer and cooking large game to a temperature of at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit. When dressing the carcass, keep it away from other foods, scrub work surfaces with bleach afterward, and wash hands thoroughly.

“It’s like any other meat—if you leave it outside the refrigerator for a couple of hours, you aren’t going to want to eat it,” Lavin said.

Black Blade: And it's tenderized already! Okay, seriously though - I see many dead game animals that are left to rot because it's illegal. We kill more deer on our roads in Wyoming than hunters harvest during hunting season. That's a lot of wasted meat. I knew an old Arkie who used to drive his pickup with push bar fast up and down mountain roads hoping to "bag" a deer for his family. Odd old boy but he was good people.

When you're born you get a ticket to the freak show. When you're born in America , you get a front row seat. - George Carlin

When it comes to firearms Montana has VERY few laws. The "no eat roadkill" thing over there has always been about control of poaching and the sate has many laws regulating hunting. Besides, there is so much game that the mere thought of a roadkill roast would make most Montanas gag.

Nothing wrong with it as long as it's fresh and wasn't ran over a bunch. I always carry and have had to finish off animals a few times after someone hit one. I was tempted on a couple of those occasions to cut out the back straps because that takes 5 minutes tops to do.

Law about road kill?? Happens here all the time. Think it's always been legal. Seen lots of folks picking up road killed deer. People just call the police and they come and give you a possession tag. Done it myself, but then I saw it get hit and it just caught it's head on the front bumper of the car. Broke it's neck. Zero meat lose and as fresh as you can get.

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If a man speaks in the forest and no woman is there to hear him, is he still wrong??

Law about road kill?? Happens here all the time. Think it's always been legal. Seen lots of folks picking up road killed deer. People just call the police and they come and give you a possession tag. Done it myself, but then I saw it get hit and it just caught it's head on the front bumper of the car. Broke it's neck. Zero meat lose and as fresh as you can get.

Same here, also have gotten some from others I've seen hit, just waited for the police to tag it. Ridiculous to think otherwise.

Took kids to a state Park for a Sunday drive and stoped when we saw a fresh roadkill deer.Another driver stoped to look and asked if he could have it.I helped him put it in his trunk.Saw him later at the Ranger station doing paper work just to play it safe.